


I'll Always Come Back For You

by packa9inch



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Bipolar Ian, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Reunion, and mickey, i love carl, post 7x11
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-06
Updated: 2017-03-06
Packaged: 2018-09-29 23:21:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10147064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/packa9inch/pseuds/packa9inch
Summary: After Ian left Mickey at the border, his disorder has gotten out of hand and his siblings don't how how to handle it anymore, so they call the only person who does. (It's Mickey if you didn't catch that)





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic so idrk what this is, also idk where Debbie is I just don't like her so lol. Sorry if it sucks hope you like it!!

"Ian, come on, you need to get up. You at least need to eat something. Please."

It had been 3 days since Ian got out of bed. Saying his 3 favorite words over and over every time someone tried to come near him

"leave me alone".

Fiona was trying desperately to get him to snap out of his episode but nothing was working. He'd been off the walls just days before, happy, but not Ian happy. His artificial, manic happy that left everyone in the dark about how he was really feeling. It had gone too far before came down and never got back up. He'd been laying in bed for so long Fiona and Lip were running out of options.

"I don't know what else to do Lip he won't take his meds I can't fucking force feed him" Fiona said practically in a panic to Lip, who had been trying his best to help with Fiona, but had no fucking idea what to do.

"I don't know what else to fucking do Fiona. You never helped him before? Who else fucking helped him?" His tone was rising with each word and they could both feel the tension rising with it. He wants nothing more than to know what to do, but he's been away at college, he doesn't know how to react or reach his brother like he could before. This was too different, too much.

Fiona rambled trying to remember what and who used to snap him out of this, until she was cut off by a sudden voice in the doorway.

"Mickey"

Fiona and Lip both picked up their heads in unison and saw Carl standing in the doorway across the room.

"Mickey always knew what to do" said Carl.

"That's great Carl but I don't think a fugitive in Mexico can help us right now" Fiona snapped back.

Fiona liked Mickey, it took her a while to see how good he actually was for Ian, but after going to jail, then escaping, her appreciation for him wore off.

"He left me a number to call him in case we ever needed anything" Carl said a little hesitantly. He knew Fiona and Lip wouldn't want him having any contact with him, and he knows why. He gets that he's a fugitive, and it puts him at risk, but he also gets how much Mickey cares about Ian, and if he needed to call him, he fucking would. No matter how much shit he would get from Fiona or Lip.

"He left you a number? why the fuck would he leave you a number? Do you want to go to juvie again carl? It's bad enough we know where he is but having contact with a fugitive can get you in serious shit" Fiona said with her eyes wide and focused on her younger brother.

"Can you stop referring to him as a fugitive? We know what he is, and he's only a fugitive for trying to get back at Sammi for Ian. So do you want me to call him or not"

Carl had always looked up to Mickey. He was like the south side bad-ass he always wanted to be, and he saw how he cared for his brother, something he always admired.

"I'll call him" Lip finally spoke up. He never liked Mickey, but he was out of options.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"Hello?"

An unfamiliar voice came from the other end of the line when Lip dialed, he knew it couldn't have been Mickey.

"This Mickey?"

"Who's asking?"

"Lip Gallagher"

Lip was hesitant to use his name, but he could trust Mickey when it came to shit like this. As much as he hated that fucker he knew what he was doing when it came to avoiding the Feds.

"Gallagher huh? You related to Ian?"

"Yeah he's my brother... only reason I'm calling. you know him?"

"Yeah, he ok?"

"He's- who the fuck even is this I'm looking for Mickey."  
Lip was getting agitated. He didn't even want to call in the first place, let alone have a conversation about his manic little brother with a stranger.

"Calm down, it's Iggy Milkovich, Mickeys brother. What's wrong with Ian?"

"He hasn't gotten out of bed in days. Mickey left this number for us to call for emergencies. We got no other options I need to get ahold of him."

The line was silent for a second until Iggy spoke up again.

"You got a pen?"

Lip looked around the room for a pen and jotted down the phone number Iggy gave him.

"Thanks man" Lip said, about to hang up before Iggy interrupted.

"Hey- uh, let me know if you need anything else, uh-for Ian... We care about him."

Lip was confused. We? Who is we? His family? The one with the most homophobic father on the south side? He always thought of the Milkovich's as the fucked up family a couple blocks down, but he never would have thought of Ian being apart of it.

He took a minute before he responded, trying to make sense of Iggy Milkovich saying they cared about Ian.

"Will do".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What did he say" Fiona said almost frantically, while her and Carl were standing next to the couch in the living room. Too nervous to sit.

"His brother answered, gave me a different number to get to Mickey"

"Iggy or Colin?" Carl asked.

With that question Fiona shot him a look.

"How the fuck do you know their names?"

Carl shrugged off the aggressive tone in her voice and answered a little more calmly.

"I used to go over a lot with Debbie. She'd watch Yev and they'd teach me self defense... Milkovich style"  
He said the last part with a devious smile on his face, he liked their family no matter how fucked up it was.

"Whatever" Fiona decided to ignore the weird, probably potentially dangerous friendship Carl had going on with the Milkovich brothers and turned her attention to lip.

"Just call him and see what he says"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"Hola"

Lip recognized the voice this time, no doubt it was Mickey.

"This Mickey?"

Mickey hadn't heard that name in a while, after he went to Mexico, he went by Mikhailo. He figured if he left everything behind he might as well leave his name too. The only time he heard the name Mickey was when his brothers called him, and he knew this wasn't one of them. He hesitated for a second, contemplating to respond or not, but then he remembered giving the number to Carl, so he knew he couldn't just hang up.

"Who the fucks asking" his voice lowered and sounded more stern, almost worried.

"It's Lip"

"Lip? Gallagher? Where's Ian?"

Mickey knew Lip would never call him to just small talk about his new life in Mexico and to see how he's doing. He wasn't stupid, he knew Lip didn't like him, but he didn't care 'cause Lip was kind of an asshole himself.

"Home, but - not good... won't get out of bed" lips voice was shaky, he hated having to do this. He wanted to be able to take care of his brother himself. It actually crushed him knowing that he couldn't do it himself, his own brother who had his back for 18 years couldn't fucking help him, and his thug of an ex boyfriend had to step him for him.

"Has he been taking his meds?"

"No" lip said while exhaling a breath he'd been holding in.

"Have you tried making him?"

"Yes dipshit we've tried a fucking making him. I didn't call you so you could point out the obvious and be no fucking help at all so do you know what to do or not." Lip really hated this phone call.

"How longs he been like this?"  
Mickeys voice was worried, an obvious worried. Lip was surprised to hear him like this. He had seen it before, On the way back from picking up Ian after his first episode with Yevgeny, and at the hospital before they Ian was admitted. Lip knew Mickey cared for him but that wasn't enough. All the shit Lip saw Ian go through because of him, he didn't think Mickey deserved his brother.

"He's been in bed for 3 days, but it started before that. Bouncing off the fuckin walls"

It was Mickeys turn to be angry now.  
"3 days? He's been in bed for 3 fucking days and you call me now?"

"You're not exactly on our emergency fucking contact list, you're actually the last person i wanted to call"

Mickey takes those words like a stab in the chest. He wanted to be there for Ian. He wanted to be his first emergency call.

"What the fuck ever man"

He didn't know what else to say. The only way he would bring Ian back up from these episodes was to hold him, tell him how much he meant to him, stroke his dumb fucking red hair that he hated how much he loved. He'd stay with him even when Ian told him to go. Tell him stories about them in the past, or them in the future, and he always told him how much he loved him. But he couldn't tell Lip that. Even if he did what could he do with that? What was his brother gunna stroke his fucking hair? He couldn't help cause he wasn't there to do it.

"What do you mean bouncing off the walls? Give me details" Mickey said just trying to make sense of it.

"The fucking pancakes, the running at 4 am, uh- the-the singing." Lip was trying to remember where it started but it was hard trying to remember all the details, there were too many.  
"After that he went off the deep end, kept saying he should left when he could, whatever that means. Also something about how you never let him do a porno or some shit?, he went out and fucking did one, then-" Mickey cut him off after that

"He did a what?" His voice started off angry but when he remembered what came after the porno crisis his voice fell quiet.  
"fuck, not again"

"You didn't let me finis- wait what the fuck? again?"

"Right before he took Yev he told me some queens from the club offered him money to do a porno, that's when I told him he needed to see a doctor, and he took off with the kid"

Lip could hear the heartbreak in Mickeys voice. Lip had always blamed him for that day, never let go of that grudge. But he never knew that's what caused him to run off.

Mickey started again trying to get off the topic  
"What else? You were saying something else"

Lip paused before he answered, he knew Mickey didn't want to hear what he was about to tell him. Fuck even he didn't want to hear it. But he had to tell him, for Ian's sake.  
"He said he talking about -"  
He didn't know how to say it.  
"Talking about pulling a Monica"

"The fucks a Monica? What like thinkin he's a bird or some shit like Carl said?"

"No like...like killing himself."

The line fell silent. Felt like hours of nobody talking. The silence equally painful on both ends. Until finally Mickey cleared his throat and swallowed back what sounded like tears to break the deafening silence.

"I'm coming"

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"What does he means 'he's coming?' He's gunna get goddamn caught and thrown in jail for life" Fiona pointed out the obvious to Lip and Carl

"I guess he doesn't care" Lip said before he realized the words behind it.

He doesn't even care.  
They all exchange a look, a sympathetic one. Like they all simultaneously realized how much Ian meant to Mickey that he was willing to throw away his whole freedom for their brother, who they thought he barley cared about.

Fiona cleared her throat to end the little moment they all had.  
"Well what's his plan when he gets here?"

"Don't know but he sounded like he knows what he's doing. You sure he can fix him Carl?"

Carl nodded, he had seen Mickey do it before, knew how they felt about each other, if anyone could do it, it was him

"Yeah, I'm sure"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Fiona walked into Ian's room, curtains closed shut with his back towards her. He was going on 4 days now, maybe today was the day he'd get up, maybe it wasn't, but she wanted to try.

"Hey Ian, its 9:00. Do you want breakfast?"

He responded like he usually does, muffled sounds probably along the lines of "go away" or "no"

She just sighed and headed toward the door, feeling defeated again.

Carl made him a plate anyways, he headed upstairs into his room, greeted by Ian with his routine "get the fuck out" whenever someone opened the door. He replaces his dinner plate they brought up for him last night, which of course he didn't eat.

"Ian can you atleast eat some of the pancakes you're gunna fucking starve man"

"Go away"

"Ian come on"

"GO. AWAY"  
Ian's yell would have scared anyone else, but Carl just stood where he was. Even if Ian got up to beat the shit out of him, atleast he got up. Carl stood there for a while, looking down at his brothers backside. He didn't even know why he was still trying, nothing was working but he still found himself in that same room trying again and again for the same fucking results.

Lip went down to the alibi for a beer. Fiona was home with Ian and Mickey wouldn't be there for god knows how long. He wasn't even really sure was was going to show, he was still on the run from the cops after all, and, he was Mickey. He sat next to Tommy and Kermit and some other randoms and smiled at Kev, but he couldn't hide the complete emotional exhaustion on his face

"Ian's still not up huh" Kev said sympathetically.

Lip looked down at his drink and swirled it around, trying to avoid eye contact

"Nope"

To Lips surprise, tommy chimed it. Which was weird because he wasn't close with the guy, so he didn't know why he would want to talk about Ian with him.

"Shame Mickeys not here. That guy liked to say he was a hard ass but we all know he was a softy when it came to that kid"

Lip just listened as they Kev, Tommy and Kermit went back and forth about Ian and Mickey in the bar.

"Yeah he always knew how to cheer Ian up. Remember that time Ian got completely trashed and Mickey had to carry him out cause he wouldn't stop talking about them fucking?" Kev smiled as he remembered that story.

"Don't forgot the time he fucked that red head 'cause Ian was gone" Kermit added

"Back when he tried convincing himself he was still straight. Good times man, how 'bout when he came out? How can we leave that out?"

"Talk about the biggest news of the fucking century. When him and Ian beat the shit out of terry? Definitely best bar fight I've ever witnessed, and I've seen a lot of bar fights" Kev said, laughing again.

"Man those two kids were good for each other. Wish I had that" Tommy said and the two other men agreed,

But Lip had no idea what they were talking about. Mickey and Ian publicly together? He'd barley seen them kiss in their own home, let alone have Mickey carry him in public. And Ian never told him about Mickey coming out? In front of Terry? How could he not tell him that? What the fuck was he missing? Maybe Mickey wasn't as cold as he thought he was.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

After leaving the bar, he got to the fence before he heard Mickeys voice from behind him.

"Hey dickbreath"

He looked different, not too unrecognizable, but different enough to not get him caught. His beard and long hair (which Lip was almost sure that it was fake) would be enough to keep him off the radar for now.

"See you haven't changed" lip scoffed.

"Yeah yeah, how is he?"

Lip didn't answer, just lit up a cigarette and walked to the back porch, where Mickey followed.

"You gonna answer my question?" Mickey glared at him waiting for him to give some type of information. He hadn't seen Ian since he left him at the border, he didn't know what to expect. He didn't even know how he was going to react when he saw him.

"Same as before, won't eat, won't fucking move" Lip answered while blowing out smoke, as he made a point to not offer Mickey a drag. But then he remembered how he came all the way here from Mexico while on the run from escaping prison all for his brother. Lip stared at the ground while moving the cigarette in front of Mickeys face. He guessed he deserved at least a drag.

They both walk in where Fiona and Carl greet them. Fiona gave him a hug, embraced him long and hard for coming for their family. She even thought back to when Ian was first hospitalized, Mick was close to family.

When they finally let go Carl went in for a quick hug.

"What's up man, how's life on the run?"

"Not as bad as you think man, I know Spanish, awesome food, I even got a fuckin tan"

Carl was so wide eyed and wanted to ask more before Mickey caught Fiona glaring at him, he realized he probably shouldn't be encouraging Ian's little brother to become a fugitive.

"But uh not as great as America. I miss it here. Wish shit never hit the fan. Always wish I could come back." He looked at Fiona for approval of his attempt to clean up that mess, she looked satisfied.

While all this catching up was going on, Ian was still upstairs, sitting in that fucking bed. Every time Mickey thought about going up there and seeing him, he froze. He didn't think he could stay calm, or even find the words to snap him out of his episodes like he used to. But then he thought of Ian going over the edge and actually doing it. Actually killing himself like everyone warned him about. He felt nauseous just thinking about it. Just because he wasn't with him in Mexico, didn't mean he didn't hold on to the chance of seeing again, he couldn't live knowing he could never see that red head again. He knew he had to try.

Lip looked at him, then at the staircase

"So, you gunna go up now?"

"Yeah... in a minute" he said it trying to sound confident, but it came out shaky and scared. He took a deep breath, one that they could all hear. They knew he was nervous, but they were nervous too.

He head up the stairs, where they all followed behind. Mickey was annoyed they were present for they're reunion but he couldn't tell them to fuck off. They were family too.

He opened the door, trying to be discreet, but the loud creak it made had Ian yelling for them to leave him alone.

Mickey walked up to the bed slowly and put a hand on Ian's fiery red hair, that stupid fucking red hair. Ian swatted it away, but Mickey just did it again.

"Jesus I said leave me the fuck a-" he was cut off when Mickey finally spoke up

"Hey, hey. Calm down. It's me."

Ian attempted to swat away the hand again but when he realized who's hand it was, he froze.

"Mickey?"

"Hey firecrotch" he tried so hard to hold his tears back

Ian squeezed his hand, still not turning around. When Mickey squeezed back Ian started to cry. Not a sob, but loud enough for everyone to hear.

After a minute of not talking, not looking at each other. Mickey, who was now on the bed, still holding Ian's hand tight, finally heard a whisper from Ian

"I never should have left you."

"I'm here now Ian. All that matters"

Ian turned around, didn't even notice his 3 siblings staring at him in awe as he sank into Mickeys side.

Mickey looked up trying to get the tears to stop from falling. He closed his eyes and held Ian tighter.

"Why did you come back, i- i left you there, I can never forgive myself how can you even forgive me. I should have never left you"

"It's in the past Gallagher, you had to do what you had to do, I'll always come back for you Ian, never fucking forget that"

After a while of just laying there, just being with each other, the tension had left and suddenly Mickey remembered why he was there in the first place. The meds.

"When's the last time you took your meds"

Ian took a little while to answer, obviously not wanting to answer at all.

"Don't remember"

"What about all that stuff you said at the docks. You had your shit together. You weren't lyin, I knew you had your shit together. Why'd you stop"

"What's the fucking point. You're gone, 30 hours and a country away. I'm gunna keep taking my meds for what? To keep living without you. And if you came here to make me take them you might as well go back now" Ian swallowed hard when he said that. He didn't want Mickey to leave, not ever.

"Ian, look at me. Without me, you got a fucking job, and a boyfriend, who probably never punched you for calling him his boyfriend. You got your shit together. Don't throw it away cause of me." Mickey hated that Ian did so well without him, but he wanted to see him better, even if it meant without him.

"I, I don't even want all that shit if it means I won't have you, and I left my boyfriend, cause he wasn't you."

"Then take your meds. Take your fucking meds and I'll stay here. Change my name or some shit, or you'll come back with me. we'll figure it out, but you need to take care of yourself, that was a long ass drive and I sure as hell didn't do it for you to lie in this bed for another fucking second"

Ian looked at him, and nodded. Mickey brought his lips to Ian's forehead as he sat up, finally realizing his family had been there the whole time. Even Mickey forgot.

They all looked at each other, and Carl just turned around to get Ian's medication.  
"Told you Mickey could do it"


End file.
